A “vicious” dog attack in Langford has left a poodle and its owner injured and needing medical attention.
The incident occurred on Wednesday (Nov. 20), on Larkhall Road at approximately 11.45 a.m., when Johnathan Larsen, a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, took his poodle Charlie for a walk.
Both Larsen and the West Shore RCMP, who initially attended the scene, have described the offending dog as a pitbull.
However, the Capital Regional District (CRD), who are investigating the attack, has not yet confirmed the breed of the dog.
Larsen says the incident began when the two dogs noticed each other from across the street – both began to display aggressive behaviour towards the other.
However, the 'large black' dog’s handler lost control of the animal, which then bolted across the road and began its attack.
“I immediately attempted to separate the two dogs, yelling at the handler to regain control of her dog,” said Larsen.
A video of the attack, taken by a nearby witness, shows Larsen and the other dog handler making multiple attempts to separate the animals for almost one minute.
Witnesses can be heard screaming at the attacking dog's handler to muzzle the animal.
“Throughout the attack, the pitbull repeatedly bit or held its grip on various parts of Charlie’s body,” said Larsen.
The dog owner remembers panic surging through his body as he “helplessly” watched his poodle “cry out in pain, unable to fight back or defend himself.”
“In desperation, I punched and kicked the pitbull's face and stomach (one to four blows), but this had no effect,” he said.
Eventually, with help from witnesses, Larsen’s dog Charlie was able to break free and make an escape.
“[Charlie] was bleeding from multiple areas of his body and was noticeably limping,” said Larsen.
The injured poodle was left with multiple bite wounds across its body, including deep puncture wounds under his groin. The canine was taken to Glenview Animal Hospital for treatment.
“Thankfully, nothing is broken, and despite the severity of the attack, he was not seriously injured,” said Larsen. “However, he is understandably traumatized by the event."
Larsen also sustained an injury during the attack, only realizing afterwards he had been bitten once on his left hand. At St. Anthony’s Urgent Care Centre, he received three stitches and was prescribed antibiotics.
“At the moment, I’m unable to fully use my left hand and can barely make a fist due to the pain, but I’m optimistic about a full recovery within a week,” Larsen told Goldstream News Gazette.
According to Larsen, the dog’s handler was a “dog sitter” who admitted fault and took responsibility for the incident.
“She mentioned that she was instructed to use a muzzle on the pitbull but chose not to because she was ‘just taking him out for a quick pee,’” he said.
Both he and the "dog sitter" provided information to the RCMP and the CRD Bylaw Animal Control Officer at the scene, says Larsen.
In a written statement to the CRD, Larsen suggests a previous "minor incident" several months ago between the two dogs may have exacerbated the Nov. 20 attack.
A spokesperson for the CRD has confirmed the incident between the "two dogs" is still under investigation.
“I’m deeply thankful that both Charlie and my hand are still in one piece," said Larsen. "I'm thankful for the people who stopped what they were doing and stepped in to help."
"My family and I are incredibly grateful that he is okay, as the outcome could have been much worse," he adds.
